What Does a GP Do?

What Does a GP Do?

Last updated: 19th December 2017

What is a GP?

A general practitioner (or GP) is a doctor that has a wide range of medical and surgical knowledge and cares for a diverse range of patients. This includes focusing on preventive medicine as well as caring for acute and chronic conditions as they arise.

A GP will refer their patients for specialist management when required and will communicate with the various specialists involved to ensure optimal patient care. It is not unusual for GPs to develop a specialty area of interest.

Your GP should be your first port of call if you have any non-emergency medical problem or question you need answering. Ideally a GP should coordinate the overall medical care of their patients.

They will refer for blood tests, other laboratory investigations including analysis of urine, stool or other body fluids. They may refer for imaging by a radiologist or radiographer. X-Rays, CT scan and ultrasound are commonly requested.

What to expect at your first appointment with a GP

History

On the first visit you may spend a considerable amount of time giving background information before getting onto the current problem, or ‘presenting complaint’. This is so the GP can build a picture of your current state of health, your risk factors and possible future problems.

Taking a full history will make the assessment of your current complaint and any future problems more accurate. Treatment and advice will also be able to be tailored to your lifestyle and individual case.

The GP will ask about past medical, surgical and psychiatric history. They will ask about medications, immunisations, allergies, social history including employment, drug and alcohol use, smoking and sexual history. Family history is also important.

After gathering enough background information the GP will focus on the current problem and decide on the best line of further investigation and management.

Examination

Your GP will tailor your examination according to the current problem. Your temperature, pulse and blood pressure are commonly checked.

If the problem involves your ears or throat examination will focus there, alternatively if it involves your bladder, abdominal, genital and rectal examination will be important.